Spending time in the pool is one of the summer’s greatest pleasures – it’s hard to beat the cool temperature of the water as you dive under on a hot day. But for blonde hair people, there’s been a long-standing fear that comes along with dipping into a chlorinated pool – the dreaded green hair. It’s true, spending too much time in a swimming pool can turn blonde hair green, so what’s a light-haired person to do? As your Atlanta swimming pool renovation team, we wanted to investigate if swimming pools make blondes go green. We found, thankfully, blondes don’t have to forego the fun of summer in the pool completely, it just takes a little knowledge on how to keep the green at bay, and if you’re already seeing green, how to get rid of it quick!
Though most people think the green comes from the chlorine itself, it’s actually copper that causes the green color. Copper is often found in pools using well water and is commonly found in some algaecides as well. The copper is then oxidized by the chlorine and attaches to the proteins in your hair, turning it green.
This can also happen in saltwater pools, according to Swim University, because saltwater pools are also chlorine-based.
There are several ways to avoid the chemistry in your pool tinting your hair green – some apply to the pool itself, some apply to steps you can take to protect your hair before and after you go swimming.
If you own the pool yourself, start by testing for metals. If you find copper is present in the pool, you can switch to a non-copper based algaecide or go through a process of stripping the metals from the water.
However, if you don’t own the pool and are simply frequently swimming in a pool at the gym or your apartment complex or within your neighborhood, you can still protect your luscious locks. Applying a leave-in conditioner before you swim and immediately rinsing and cleansing your hair after swimming are two great preventative steps. If you want to take it a little further, most salons offer a gloss or seal coat for your hair’s cuticles, blocking the oxidized copper from binding.
You can also use a hot oil treatment for your hair or wear a swim cap.
Some avid swimmers may not have been so lucky to catch this before the green crept in – if that’s you, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
If your hair is already looking a little less like the blonde you know and love and a little more like Frankenstein’s monster, you’ve got options. There are professionally formulated shampoos that work to nullify the green tint the copper such as TriSwim Shampoo and UltraSwim Chlorine Removal Shampoo.
Not in the market for another shampoo? Check your kitchen cabinets for tomato juice. Applying a liberal amount of tomato juice to your hair and scalp and letting it soak for 5-10 minutes also does wonders to get your hair back to normal.
If you love your blonde look, don’t let that stop you from enjoying your time in the pool this summer.
We hope this answers your questions on if swimming pools make blondes go green and that we put some fears to rest. Now that the green hair worries are over, there’s no reason to delay on enjoying the pool. For more information on our pool services, call 770-451-1621 or contact us online.
Please call (770) 451-1621 to request pool winterization by Allen Pool Service in Atlanta.
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